AN: Okay so this chapter is inspired by the Civil Wars(Artist), namely their songs- Dust to Dust, and Devil's Backbone. I hope you enjoy the chapter, please review, and thank you for reading. xoxox
Three days later Claire still hadn't heard from Tim. She was slowly going crazy in the house, taking care of Danny, cooking, cleaning, and running. She had gotten together with her high school friend Lindsey once, but with a child and a job, she wasn't free very often.
When she had received two calls and three texts from Boyd on her burner phone asking where she was and when they could expect information on the transfer, she finally got frustrated enough to call Tim.
The phone rang, and rang, and rang….and went to voicemail.
Sighing in frustration she left him a message, "Tim, it's Claire, you remember- the woman you're supposed to be protecting? Yea, Boyd is getting anxious for information on the transfer. He's asking to see me because I haven't given him anything. He also knows that Danny's out of the hospital and he wants to stop by! So get your shit together."
She hung up and threw her phone onto her bed, wishing she had something else to throw against the wall. She grabbed the burner phone from Boyd and looked at the last text-
Come to the bar tonight, we need to catch up.
Sighing she sat down on her bed and picked up her phone, dialing the Marshal's office. After a moment the honeyed voice of Raylan answered, "US Marshal's, Deput Givens here."
"Raylan, its Claire Bennett. How are you?" she asked softly.
Raylan leaned back in his chair and tilted his hat back, raising his brows, wondering why Claire was calling him and not Tim. "Not too shabby Claire. How bout you?"
Claire sighed, "Could be better. You got a minute to talk?"
Raylan ran a hand over his face, "This don't sound good Claire. How much is this goin to make me wanna drink?"
Claire lay back against her pillows, "That's part of the problem…"
Raylan sighed, "He's drinking?"
Claire nodded, "It started again three days ago. Before that he had beers with me and an occasional drink, but it wasn't like this. He won't answer his phone or come to the door."
Raylan waved to Rachel who came over to the phone, he held it out so she could hear Claire without it being on speaker and risking others hearing their conversation. He looked up at Rachel, "That mess Tim went to three days ago, you have the report?"
Rachel nodded, "Give me a second." She went to her desk and printed the report, coming back a moment later. She leaned in and spoke softly into the phone, "Hey Claire, so Tim was taken to a hot situation three days ago in Louisville. He injured three cartel members, killed three more….oh shit…."
Claire sat up, her stomach dropping, "What? What happened?"
Rachel and Raylan exchanged a look before Rachel continued, "One of the cartel members used his daughter as a human shield. Tim didn't want to take the shot; he didn't want the girl to see her father killed. The team leader overrode him and forced him to take the shot….Jesus."
Claire closed her eyes, her hand over her mouth, her fingers shaking. No wonder Tim had spiraled down. Anyone would have, and with his PTSD….
She sighed and spoke softly, "Guys, he needs you. He needs us. Please help him."
Rachel sighed, "Claire, if we tell Art, they'll pull him from protective duty…he might lose his job."
Claire stared at the text from Boyd and sighed, "I'll go try and talk to him, if he isn't better by the end of this weekend, at least marginally, then you need to tell Art. Okay?"
"Okay, be safe Claire." Rachel said softly.
"Raylan, I'm supposed to go see Boyd tonight. Do you have anything I can give him to keep him placated?" she asked.
Raylan nodded and sat forward, "Hold on, I'll email you the three different routes that we're choosing from. You can say you stole em from Tim's computer. I'll make sure they come from his IP address. We'll get our tech guys on it so it looks legit."
Claire sighed, "Great. Thank you both for your help. I'll check in with you over the weekend, let you know how things are going."
Raylan sighed and rubbed his neck, "Please do, Tim ain't just a friend, he's family."
Claire nodded, "I know. I'll talk to y'all soon. Bye."
She sighed and hung up the phone, tossing it aside. Looking out the window, she was pleased to see that the snow had melted. It had warmed in the past few days, and with the warmth came ease of running.
She had also been getting Danny out to take short walks to get his mobility up so that he could heal faster. She hoped that by next week he would be able to move upstairs. His leg seemed to be bothering him less, and his other injuries were healing well.
Pulling her running sneakers on she grabbed her headphones and ran downstairs to find Danny folding laundry while watching tv. Grinning she pointed to the laundry, "You don't have to do that you know."
He smiled and nodded, "Yea I do. I have to earn my keep. I'll start cleaning up more too. You should let me help with groceries too."
Claire shrugged, "That would be nice, thanks Danny. I'm going for a run and when I get back I'll make dinner. I'm going to the bar later to meet Boyd, okay?"
Danny frowned, "Is anyone going with you?"
Claire sighed, knowing he meant Tim. "No, just me. It'll be fine though, I swear."
Danny shook his head, "You shouldn't go alone."
Claire threw her hands up, "Yea well, I have to. You're a gimp and Boyd isn't happy with you, and I can't take a drunk Marshal!"
Danny stared at his sister and saw how tired and stressed she was and relented, feeling bad for making her more upset. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you" he said softly, turning his gaze to the laundry.
Claire ran a hand over her face, "I know. I know…I'm sorry too. Listen, I'm going to go run, and I'll be in a better mood when I get back, ok?"
Danny nodded and waved, listening as the front door closed.
Claire ran through the winding paths and up the hills leading to the mountainside, slowly climbing higher. Her breathing was ragged as she ran higher, sweat streaming down her face. The late afternoon sky was overcast and the sky was a steel grey as she reached an overlook point, her legs and chest burning.
Her music shuffled to "Devil's Backbone" by the Civil Wars and she listened to the lyrics as she stared out over the countryside, awestruck by the rugged beauty, yet her emotions in turmoil over Tim.
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what have I done?
I've fallen in love with a man on the run
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I'm begging you please
Don't take that sinner from me
Oh don't take that sinner from me
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what do I do?
I've fallen for someone who's nothing like you
He's raised on the edge of the devil's backbone
Oh I just wanna take him home
Oh I just wanna take him home
Ooooooooooo
Ooooooooooo
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, he's somewhere between
A hangman's knot, and three mouths to feed
There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose
He did what he had to do
Oh he did what he had to do
Ooooooooooo
Ooooooooooo
Give me the burden, give me the blame
I'll shoulder the load, and I'll swallow the shame
Give me the burden, give me the blame
How many, how many Hail Marys is it gonna take?
Don't care if he's guilty, don't care if he's not
He's good and he's bad and he's all that I've got
Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I'm begging you please
Don't take that sinner from me
Oh don't take that sinner from me
She remembered walking these paths with her family, when they were still alive and tried to be happy. Now that Danny was back, the house was filling with life again…her life was filling with purpose again, not just saving other people, but with saving her family.
She shook her head, feeling a pressure growing in her chest from anger and sadness building up. Pacing back and forth she shook her head as the song ended, filling her with emotions.
When "Dust to Dust" by Civil Wars came on, she let out a half sob, half laugh, shaking her head. Her music must be trying to destroy her.
She sank to the ground and dropped her head between her knees, crying. For her dead parents, for her brother that no one had believed in or supported, for herself; who everyone had pushed to be amazing, and never seen what she wanted, and for Tim- used, dishonored, broken, and forgotten when his country no longer needed a hero to put on a pedestal.
It's not your eyes
It's not what you say
It's not your laughter that gives you away
You're just lonely
You've been lonely, too long
All your actin'
Your thin disguise
All your perfectly delivered lies
They don't fool me
You've been lonely, too long
Let me in the wall, you've built around
And we can light a match and burn it down
Let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flame
In front of us
Dust to
You've held your head up
You've fought the fight
You bear the scars
You've done your time
Listen to me
You've been lonely, too long
Let me in the wall, you've built around
And we can light a match and burn them down
And let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flames
In front of us
Dust to dust
You're like a mirror, reflecting me
Takes one to know one, so take it from me
You've been lonely
You've been lonely, too long
We've been lonely
We've been lonely, too long
When the song ended she turned her music off and took her headphones off, sitting and listening to the silence around her, the gentle noises of nature. Closing her eyes, she sat, waiting.
When nearly twenty minutes had passed, she finally opened her eyes, calmed and with a hint of a smile on her face. Standing, she made her way slowly down the mountain to the house where Danny was waiting anxiously.
"You were gone a really long time, you ok?"
She nodded, "Yea, I just went up the old paths we used to hike."
"Huh" he stared at her for a moment before turning away, a pained look on his face.
Claire knew Danny wasn't ready to talk about their parents and how they had treated him, so she left it be. She went to the kitchen and pulled some leftovers out of the freezer, popping them in the oven.
"Dinner should be ready in an hour, I'm gonna shower." She shouted as she ran up the stairs.
She showered quickly and went to her dresser, pulling on bra and underwear before carefully choosing her outfit. She grabbed her new faux leather and spandex leggings and wiggled into them before choosing a hunter green wrap shirt that would bring out the green in her hazel eyes.
She blow dried her hair and applied a smoky eye before pulling on her chunky black boots and leather jacket. Not only did she look smokin, she felt great.
Hopefully when she went to Tim's before the bar, things would go well.
Sighing, she opened her laptop and found the email from the Marshals containing the information for Boyd. She pulled an old flash drive from her desk and downloaded it, tucking it into her jacket pocket before heading downstairs for dinner.
Danny whistled when she walked into the kitchen, "Dang Claire, Tim is goin to get jealous of you goin to see Boyd lookin like that!"
Claire smiled and shook her head, "And how would he know?"
Danny grinned and held up his phone, "Because I took your picture when you weren't looking."
Claire gasped and ran over, "NOOOO! You need to let me see that NOW."
Danny shook his head and tried to hold the phone out of her reach, but with one good arm, he quickly lost. Claire looked at the picture and shook her head, "No! This is terrible! Take it again!"
Danny grinned at her, "So you want to send him a picture?"
Claire paused and then nodded, "Yea, let's send him the picture and see what he does. I have time till I have to go."
She posed a few times and Danny took pictures until she was satisfied. Quickly going through them she chose one where she looked like Danny had caught her turning and smiling. It looked natural, and still she managed to look good.
"Okay, so tell him that I'm going to Boyd's….Oh wait! Say that Boyd asked me to come over and hang out. Tell him that apparently Eva is out of town working on the heist details." She grinned at Danny.
Danny shook his head smiling, "You're a bad woman. Aren't you worried this'll upset him more?"
Claire shook her head, "He needs to pull out of his spiral. He needs something to focus on, and this is work. He's supposed to protect me. Well, this is you saying I'm going to go spend time alone Boyd, and you think something untoward might happen."
Danny grinned and shook his head, "As I said, you're a bad woman."
After they had eaten dinner and sat watching tv for a little while Claire stood, "Okay, I'm heading out. I'll take my bike. If an emergency happens, the car keys are in the kitchen. You have my cell, the Marshals, 911…but everything is going to be good. Okay?"
Danny shook his head, "Way to be reassuring."
Claire grinned, "Sorry, it's the habit of a surgeon. You look at all the percentages, expect the worst, prepare for all the worst case scenarios, and then get surprised when things turn out well."
Danny raised a brow, "That sucks sis."
Claire shrugged, "It's not so bad. Anyway, I'll see you later. Love ya!" she called as she walked to the garage. She quickly peeled out of the driveway and sped over to Boyd's, her stomach a ball of nerves.
What she had told Danny was true, she did expect the worst, was prepared for every scenario. She had no expectations of this undercover mission with Boyd ending well. So long as it ended with Danny alive and Boyd in jail, she would be okay.
When she pulled into the bar and shut off her bike she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out she saw she had a text from Tim. Grabbing her helmet, she walked slowly to the bar.
Don't do anything stupid or dangerous. Don't let him touch you.
She sighed and tucked her phone into her pocket and pushed the bar door open, a wave of cigarette smoke and beer smell hitting her. Walking to the bar she leaned in and smiled at the man, "I'm here to see Boyd."
He frowned at her, but before he could deny her, Boyd came around the corner. "Why Claire! My, my, my! You do look enticing tonight! How kind of you to accept my invitation."
Claire smiled and leaned in, kissing his cheek softly, surprising him. "Can a girl get a drink around here?" she teased.
Boyd turned to the bartender, "Earl! Get Miss Bennett whatever she wants, on the house of course!"
Claire nodded, "Thank you. Gin and tonic please."
Earl nodded and quickly made her drink, sliding it to her.
"Why don't we go on to the back, get comfortable?" Boyd offered his smile like a crocodiles'.
Claire smiled sweetly, "That sounds lovely."
She followed him to the back room they had met in before and sat on the couch, shrugging out of her jacket. Her phone buzzed again and she pulled it out, seeing another text from Tim.
You look like sin.
"Anybody I know?" Boyd asked, sitting next to her.
"Aaah…no." Claire lied, smiling as she slid her phone into her pocket. "Just a friend from the island. Checking in on me to see how things are going."
Boyd nodded, "And how are things going?"
Claire tilted her head, "I presume you aren't asking after my well being?"
Boyd laughed, "Sharp as a tack! Yes Miss Bennett, you are correct. How are things going with your little Marshal?"
Claire sighed and sipped her drink, "Mmm, I think he's mad at me. Danny came home from the hospital and I've been taking care of him, so I don't have as much time to spend with him. I'm going there after this though. Try and cheer him up."
Boyd smiled crookedly, "Well, I think you will do a mighty fine job of putting some cheer in his night. You already brought some to mine."
Claire gave him a thin smile over the rim of her glass and took a long sip before asking, "And where is Eva? I was looking forward to seeing her."
Boyd sighed, "She's not feelin too well. The flu I think."
Claire nodded, "Well, if y'all need me to take a look, I can."
Boyd smiled, "That is mighty kind of you. I will let her know." He gave her an appraising look and slid his hand across the back of the couch before asking, "Now, what information might you have for me?"
Claire felt the tension in the room change and continued to breathe steadily. Smiling, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the flash drive, handing it to Boyd, "Here. They're choosing between three different routes for the transfer. I stole these from the Marshal's computer."
Boyd's brows shot up; he hadn't really expected her to be able to get information. This was incredibly valuable….which either meant she was as good as she said, or the Marshals were feeding her information.
Within seconds he was on her, his hands at her throat, pushing her into the couch. Claire's drink fell to the ground, the glass shattering, the drink splashing across her boots.
"Now you're gonna tell me how you got that information. Nod. Did the Marshals give it to you?" Boyd asked pleasantly.
Claire shook her head no, gasping for air.
Boyd squeezed harder, "I don't believe you Claire. Did the Marshals give it to you?"
Claire shook her head no, her vision beginning to spot.
Boyd stared down at her, "Did you steal it from his computer?"
Claire barely nodded, her blood rushing in her ears as she fought for breath, her vision now blackening.
Boyd released her, "Aw hell, okay. I'm sorry, I just gotta makes sure you aint playing me to the Marshals."
Claire nodded and rubbed her throat, unable to speak. After a few minutes she stood, "Review the information, and I'll get more to you later. Thanks for the drink."
Boyd nodded, "Have a good night with your man Miss Bennett. I am sorry."
Claire nodded again and walked out quickly, pulling on her jacket and helmet, quickly sitting astride her bike. She sat for a moment, letting her shaking hands steady before roaring off into the night.
When she stood before Tim's door she knocked, waiting, her hands shaking. Long moments passed before the door opened and Tim stood before her, disheveled and tired looking.
She stepped forward into the light of his apartment and pulled the collar of her jacket down, showing him the red marks that were quickly turning into bruises, "You're right, I shouldn't have let him touch me" she spoke, barely able to whisper.
Tim's eyes locked on her neck, his hands fisting at his sides. When he reached out to touch her neck though, they were gentle, barely the lightest of touches, skin against skin. His eyes turned to hers, and he stepped aside, watching her as she came inside, shutting the door behind her.
Tim made a resolution then; he was going to put Boyd Crowder into his grave.